Juvenile justice to be discussed at May 2 gathering at Law School

Many of the state’s heavy hitters in the area of juvenile justice will gather this Friday, May 2, in the William S. Richardson School of Law courtyard to discuss a series of initiatives to serve troubled young people better and to keep them out of the prison system.

Judges, attorneys and state mental health workers will be some of those involved in sharing ideas from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gathering on the UH Mānoa campus. It is designed to explain and discuss cutting-edge programs that may help renew the ability of vulnerable teenagers to become contributing members of the community.

The evening gathering will include presentations on three initiatives:

The Hawai‘i State Juvenile Justice Working Group and the Hawai‘i Juvenile Justice Information and Accountability Act that were considered during the 2014 state legislative session.

Ho‘opono Mamo: The Hawai‘i Civil Citation Initiative, which is designed to steer youth away from the juvenile justice system and toward a pathway of supportive programs. This would include replacing the arrest of young people for status offenses and first-time misdemeanors with "civil citations" that could be handled through assistance by elders and counselors at an Assessment Center.

Law for Youth Empowerment workshops led by law students at the Hawai‘i Youth Correctional Facility.

Some of those attending and presenting include:

Justice Sabrina McKenna of the Hawai‘i State Supreme Court.

Deputy Chief Judge R. Mark Browning, Family Court of the First Circuit.

Judge Lanson Kupau, Family Court of the First Circuit.

David Hipp, Executive Director, Office of Youth Services.

Dr. M. Stanton Michels, Administrator, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the State Department of Health.

The gathering is being sponsored by a number of Law School student groups, including Advocates for Public Interest Law, Black Law Students Association, Filipino Law Students Association, Students for Public Outreach and Civic Education, and the Student Bar Association. One of the event's goals is to establish a permanent home for a Hawai‘i Law Center for Juvenile Justice at the Law School.